Electrolytic apparatus



Feb. 27, 1945,

v. AQRAYBURN ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10,1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VE N TOR MA. EA BURN aTT/JE EY v Patented Feb. 27, 1945 ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Vincent A. Rayburn, Baltimore, M l., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 10, 1943, Serial No. 475,379

. '7 Claims.

This invention relates to electrolytic apparatus, and more particularly to apparatus for the electrolytic treatment of wire.

Numerous processes have been developed for electrolytically treating wires. Among themost common treatments of this type are electrolytic cleaning processes and. electroplating processes. Electrolytic cleaning processes may employ either a direct current, in which case the wire may be either the anode or the cathode, or may utilize alternating current, in-which case the wire is alternately the anode andthe cathode. In electroplating processes a direct current is used and the wire is the cathode. In all of these types of processes it is necessary to supply current to the wire being treated and this is usually accomplished by advancing the wire over a stationary or rotating contact member of suitable design.

Previously, the electricalcontact members used have been either of the roll or the brush type, both of which have proved to have marked disadvantages. In the use of contact rolls it has been found that the surfaces contacting the wires load up with metal particles, dirt or oxide fiakes,

which produce current interruptions. As the wire usually moves at a high speed through a relatively short tank, any current interruptions would result in a poorly finished product. When a brush contact was used it was found that it soon became dirty, corroded, pitted, or wornout rapidly, due to the concentrated load thereon and to the abrasive action of gritty particles in the electrolytic solutions.

It has also been found advisable, in the electrolytic treatment of wire, to have Wiping devices of some type to remove excess or surplus electrolyte from the wire to minimize what is known in the art as drag-out. The wipers previously used, which have usually been of the rubber or composition pads or the compressed air or gas types, have had marked disadvantages. -When rubber pads were used, it was found that they soon loaded up with metal flakes, dirt, grit, etc., which abraded the wire. This type of wiper may be eificient at first, but the efdciency soon diminishes due to the wire cutting or channeling the pad. The air or gas type. wiper takes up too much space and breaks up the liquid electrolyte clinging to the wire into a fine mist which may contaminate the ambient air with poisonous vapors unless confined under large hoods and exhausted,

The object of this invention is to provide new and efiective apparatus for the ment of wire.

In general, the invention comprises a combined electrolytic treatwiper and electrical contact device having a fixed member and a pivotally mounted member, said members having wire-engaging elements associated therewith, and means to urge said pivotally mounted member toward said fixed memher.

The features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of a specific embodiment thereof, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of combined wiper and electrical contact devices embodying the'invention, having a portion thereof broken away;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of a portion of the devices looking in the direction of the arrows 22 in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View of an arm forming a part of one of the devices;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged perspective View of an upper contact and wiper plate forming a part of one of the devices;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged perspective view of a lower contact and wiper plate forming a part of one of the devices, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, horizontal section taken along line 66 of Fig. 1.

The combined wiper and electrical contact devices embodying the\invention preferably are mounted in pairs so as to conserve space and for the economical handling of the wires being treated. The accompanying drawings show a pair of these devices assembled for use in connection with two wires.

Referring now to the drawings, wires Ill-l0 which are to be electrolytically treated pass from a supply reel (not shown) through a solution tank II .in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. The electrolyte is continuously pumped into the tank H and the overflow discharges through a weir l2 at one end thereof. The wires I0l0 are also passed through the weir l2 in order that they will be submerged in the electrolyte during their passage through the tank II. The wires Ill-l0 pass fromthe tank l-l through a tank (3, wherein the tank H is suspended, and finally to any suitable take-up mechanism (not shown).

- The tank l3 collects the overflow from the tank II and the material wiped from the wire. Thewires l0 l0 are advanced through the electrolytic apparatus by one or more capstans (not shown) or by any other suitable means known to the art.

Mounted in the tank l3 on suitable electrical insulators illustrated by an insulator 15 (Figs. 1 and 6) is a conductor bar l4. The insulator 15 is bolted to a filler plate 13 welded to the tank secured on the bolt 15 to the bar [4. The cable 55 leads to any suitable electrical source (not shown); A leg l5, depending from a casting I5, is secured to the conductor bar [4 by means of a bolt l1 threaded in a hole II in the conductor bar l4. The casting I is made of copper or other material which is a good electrical conductor and which possesses the necessary resistance to the corrosive action of the electrolyte. A circular recess 25, in the leg 15, acts as a seat for a washer head 2! of the bolt I 1 which is positioned between the leg I 5-and the wrench head of the bolt 11. The leg I 5 has a slot 22 therein (Fig. 2) which allows the casting ii to be removed from the conductor bar 14 when the bolt I1 is loosened enough for the washer head 2| to cross section (Fig. 2) and comprises a central reinforcing web 24 with flanges 25 and 25 at the sides thereof. Toward the top of the reinforcing web 24 are bosses 21 and 25, extending outwardly therefrom, and two arms 25 and 35 which extend laterally from the top of the reinforcing web 24. The flanges 25 and 25, bosses 21 and 25, and arms 25 and 35 are similar in every respect, and are used to support a pair of the devices embodying the invention. However, as'the structure and operation of the two devices are identical, the following description has been limited to one of these devices only. Obviously, a pair of devices would operate independently in the same manner as would a single unit.

' The flange 25 has a threaded hole 32 and recessed slots 33 and 34 formed therein on opposite sides thereof. A bolt 35 secures a lower contact and wiper plate 31 within the recessed slot 33.

The plate 31 is made of a corrosion resistant 4 metal which is a suitable conductor of electricity, beryllium copper, stainless steel, Monel metal and high carbon steel having proved to be satisfactory materials for this purpose, depending upon the corrosive action of the electrolytes on the metal selected. Within the plate 51 is a slot 33 (Fig. 5) through which the bolt 35.passes to secure the plate to the flange 25. Thus, upon loosening the bolt 35 the plate 31 may be ad justed vertically, the limits of adjustment being the length of the slot 35. The plate 31 has a sloped surface 35 at one end thereof and an insert 41 is fastened, preferably by gas welding,

- within an opening'42 at the sloped end of the plate. The insert 4| is formed of an abrasive and corrosion resistant metal which is a suitable electrical conductor. One example of such a metal is a cobalt, chromium, tungsten, alloy which is 21 and to abut the boss 21. Lateral movement of the arm 41 is prevented by a cotter pin which passes-through the rod 45 near the end thereof. The upper end of the arm 41 is in the form of a handle 55 which may be employed to rotate the arm about the rod 45. A recessed slot 52 is formed in the lower part of the arm 41, into which fits an upper contact and wiper plate 53. The plate 53 is secured to the arm 41 by means of a bolt 54 which passes through a slot 55 (Fig. 4) in the plate 53 and screws into a threaded hole 55 in the arm 41. The plate 53 may be adjusted vertically by loosening the bolt 54 and moving the plate within the limits of the length of the slot 55.

The plate 53 may enter the recess 34 formed in the flange 25 of the casting i5, since the width of the recess 34 is slightly greater than that of the plate 53, and the recess acts to align the upper plate 53 with the lower plate 31. A screw 58, threaded through a lug 55 extending from the arm 41 aids in securing the proper pressure of the plate on the wire l5 and maintains the plate 53 in the position to which it has been adjusted, by acting against any pressure exerted by the wire l0 tending to force the plate upwardly.

The plate 53 (Fig. 4) has a V-shaped notch in the lower end thereof, which has bevelled side surfaces 5|5l. The plate 53, like the plate 31, is made of a metal which is corrosion resistant and a suitable electrical conductor. An insert 53 is secured, preferably by gas welding, within an opening 54 in the lower end of the upper plate. The insert 53 is made of a metal like that employed to make the insert 4|, which is a suitable conductor of electricity and is resistant to abrasion and corrosion. The insert 53 has a semicircular notch formed in the lower end thereof which is slightly larger than the diameter of the wire Ill. A

The arm 29, extending laterally from the top of the reinforcing web 24, has a threaded hole 51 therein through which passes a threaded bolt 55. The bolt is engaged by a heat and corrosion resistant spring 55 having a funnel-shaped end which fits over an enlarged cone-shaped head 13 on the bolt. The opposite end of the spring 35 is secured to the adjacent lug 55 by passing through a hole 1| formed therein. The bolt 53 is threaded into the hole 51 to adjust the spring 55 to the correct tension and is then looked in place by a nut 12 threaded onto the bolt 53 on the side of the arm 25 away from the spring 55.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows:

The wire I! is unwound from a supply reel (not shown) and passed through the tank II in which an electrolytic solution is maintained at a sufficient depth to cover the wire. The wire 15 leaves the tank I I through the weir l2 and passes on through the tank 13 to the contact and wiper device embodying the invention. The handle 55 is moved in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1, thus pivoting the arm 41 on the rod 45 against the tension of the spring 55. The upper contact and wiper plate 53, which is secured to the arm 41 by the bolt 54, is thereby moved away from the-lower contact and wiper plate 31. Thus, the. wire It may be passed between the upper and lower contact and wiper plates to any suitable take-up mechanism (not shown).

When the handle 55 is released, the tension of the spring 55 will cause the arm 41 to pivot on the rod 45 in a counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. 1. The upper plate 53, which is being urged towards the lower plate 31, will enter the recess 34 in the flange 25, whereby the wire-engaging notches 43 and 65 are aligned vertically.

The bolt 35, passing through the slot 33 in the lower plate 31, is loosened and the plate 31 is adjusted vertically until the wire I3 enters the notch 43 in the insert 4|. The lower plate 31 is then raised a further slight amount so that the wire will be raised approximately 1% of an inch. The bolt 54, passing through the slot 55 in the upper plate 53, is then loosened and the plate 53 is moved downwardly until the wire l3 enters within the notch 65 in the insert 63. The screw 58 is then tightened until the end thereof abuts against the top end of the plate 53.

In the event that the upper plate 53 has not been moved downwardly far enough, the wire III will remain wet after it has passed between the plates 31 and 53. If the upper plate 53 has been adjusted too far downwardly the wire will be scraped as it passes between the plates. Thus, it is possible to determine from an examination of the wire as it leaves the plates 31 and 53 whether the upper plate 53 has been correctly positioned with respect to the lower plate 31 and the wire 10.

The notches 43 and 65 are just slightly larger than the diameter of the wire l0 and any knot or kink in the wire would be unable to pass between the said notches in the normal position of the device. If a knot occurs in the wire l0 it will first contact the slope surface 39 of the lower plate 31, whereby the wire It! would be forced upwardly out of the notch 43 and the knot would I thus be able to pass the lower plate 31. Thewire in then forces the knot against the notch 65 in the insert 63 of the upper plate 53, the resulting pressure tending to move the upper plate away from the lower plate 31. Since the upper plate 53 is secured to the rotatably mounted arm 31, such pressure by the knot upon said plate causes the arm 41 to pivot on the rod 45 in a clockwise direction, as seen in Fig. l, and thereby creates a clearancebetween the two plates. The knot on the wire I0 may thus move out of the notch 65 in the insert 63 and slide down the bevelled surfaces Iii-6| of the plate 53 and so pass through the V-sha'ped notch 30, thus preventing any break in the wire.

and oxides from the wire and to supply current to the wire, but also act to conserve the amount of electrolytic solution used in the electrolytic treatment.

The casting |6, plates 31 and 53, and inserts 4| and 63 are all made of a metal having a suitable electrical conductivity and an electrical contact is made with the wire I0 as it passes through the notches in the inserts 4| and 63. The electric current is carried from the conductor bar |4 through the flange of the casting l6 and through the lower plate 31 to the insert 4| therein. The electric current is carried to the insert 63 by means of the web 24, the boss 21, the rod 45, the rotatably mounted arm 41 and the upper plate 53. Since the wire I0 is wet when it engages the inserts 41 and 63, a good electrical contact is always assured.

If a dry contact is made between a contact member and a wire, sparking frequently occurs, which results in pitting of the wire and interference with the electrolytic action. The use of a wet contact prevents sparking and the accompanying undesirable results thereof.

The contact and wiper plates 31 and 53 do not, by themselves, mechanically wipe the wire entirely dry but leave a thin layer of electrolyte thereon. When an aqueous electrolyte is used,

' the heat generated by the passage of current from the inserts in the plates to the wire flashes 011 the moisture from this thin layer of electrolyte. Thus, the wire is both clean and dry as it leaves the combinedwiper and electrical contact device.

The wire passing through the notches 43 and 65 tends to keep those surfaces of the inserts in a polished state. Also, small grains of dirt or impurities which are wiped from the wire act as an abrasive upon the said inserts, whichtends to keep them in a bright, shiny condition. This, of course, assures a better electrical contact.

The advantages of using a combined wiper and electrical contact device in the electrolytic treatment of wire are that it saves space, that it pro- The tension of the spring 63, which must be made of a heat and corrosion resistant metal because it may be subjected to high temperatures and the corrosive action of the electrolytic solution within the tank I I, is adjusted by threading the bolt 58 into the hole 61 the-correct amount and then looking the bolt in place by means of the nut 12. Normally, the spring is adjusted to a tension sufiicient to pivot the arm 41 ina counterclockwise direction, as seen in Fig. l, and to cause the upper contact and wiper plate 53 to assume a position against the lower contact and wiper plate 31. 7

As the wire Ill passes through the notches 43 and 65, the diameters of which are barely larger than the diameter of the wire, the sides of. the notches will tend to wipe off any excess solution. dirt, loosened scale or oxides that may be on the wire. The moisture, dirt. etc., will not pass beyond the plates 31 and 53 but will drop down into the tank 13. Thesolution removed from the wire is collected in the tank l3, and after having been filtered, is later recirculated through the solution tank ll. Thus, the plates 31 and 53 act not only to remove the dirt, loosened scale vides a wet, and consequently a good, contact,

and that the surfaces of the contacts are polished by extraneous grit and dirt in the electrolyte,

which act as an abrasive and keep the contact surfaces clean. Also, the wiper will not load up with material" removed from the wire, but the material will drain into the tank 13. Since the inserts 4| and 63 which actually contact the wire are made of a very hard, wear and corrosion resistant material, they will have a long life. These inserts, being secured within the plates 31 and 53, are replaceable.

It is obvious that the above mentioned apparatus may be modified to suit varying conditions and processes without changing its purpose or efiectiveness and without departing from the invention. If desired, a plurality of units like those described hereinabove may be employed in a given electrolytic apparatus to permit a number of wires to betreated simultaneously.

What is claimed is:

1. In an apparatus for the electrolytic treatment of wire, an electrical conductor bar, a casting supported by said conductor bar, a fixed arm extending upwardly from said casting having two recesses therein on opposite sides thereof, a plate secured in one of said recesses, a wire-engaging insert mounted in said plate, an arm pivotally ment of wire, an electrical conductor bar; a fixed arm secured to said conductor bar having two recesses therein on opposite sides thereof, a wireengaging plate secured within'one oi said receases, a pivotally mounted arm having a recess therein, awire-engagingplate secured within said last mentioned recess, means to adjust the relative positions of said plates, and means urging said pivotally mounted arm toward said fixed arm thereby causing the plate secured to said pivotally mounted arm to enter within the recess in said fixed arm not occupied by the plate whereby said plates are aligned.

3. In an apparatus for the electrolytic treatment of wire-means for wiping and supplying electrical current to wire comprising a conductor bar, means ror impressing an electrical potential upon the conductor bar, a support mounted on the conductor bar,. a contactor secured to the support, a lever pivotally mounted on the support, and a second contactor secured to the leverand cooperating with the first-mentioned contactor to wipe the wire and supply an electrical current thereto.

4. In an apparatus for electrolytic treatment of wire including an electroplating tank for holding an electrolyte, means for wiping excess electrolyte from a wire drawn from the tank and for supplying an electric current to the wire, which comprises a conductor bar positioned near the exit end of the tank, means for impressing an electrical potential upon the conductor bar, a

support secured to the conductor bar, a contactor fixed to the support, a member pivotally mounted on the support, a second contactor carried by the opening formed by the complementary semicirthe entire periphery thereof tor wiping the wire- 5. In an apparatus for electrolytic treatment of wire, a contacting device comprising a conductor bar, a supportmounted on the conductor bar, a contactor having a semicircular cut-out portion fixed to-the support, a lever pivotally mounted on the support, a second 'contactor having a semicircular cut-out portion complementary to the first mentioned cut-out portion secured to the lever, a spring secured to the support and to the lever to urge the contactors together, and means for aligning the contactors whereby the contactors will wipe and supply an electrical current to a wire advanced through the circular cular cut-out portions.

6. In an apparatus for electrolytic treatment of wire, a contacting device comprising a conductor bar, a support mounted .on the conductor barand supplying an electrical current thereto,

pivotally mounted member, said contactors hav- 7. In an apparatus for electrolytic treatment or wire, a contacting device comprising a conductor bar, means for impressing an electrical potential upon the conductor bar, a metallic support ad- :Iustably secured to the conductor bar, a plurality of electroconductive contactors secured to the support for-wipingand supplying an electrical current to an equal number of wires, a plurality of metallic levers pivotally mounted on the support. a plurality of electroconductive contactors secured to the levers i'or cooperating with the first mentioned contactors, and a plurality of springs for urging the levers toward the support.

VINCENT A. 

